Harvey And Horton
by KNDnumber170
Summary: "Screw you Horton Orth." The old man didn't think much of me and I didn't think much of him, but I needed this for college damn it! I was going to be his best friend, even if it killed me.
1. Chapter 1

**So my general rule is not to have two stories active at the same time, but while Innocence Of A Child is on it's tiny break, I'll start this story which goes along with like...the forth Innocence Of A Child story, so this will be referenced in there and since it's fresh in my mind, I decided to start it. Don't know how I'll be with updates till Innocence Of A Child is finished but we'll see. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own KND or really any of the characters from the show. **

**#_#_#_#_#**

This is not how I wanted to spend my summer before senior year. I mean...I didn't really know _how _I wanted to spend my summer but I knew I didn't want to be here, in front of this old house on the edge of Cleveland.

In order to get into my school of choice for college, I needed some volunteer work. I didn't think that'd be too hard, till mom found out. She said that an old regular Clint of her's, back when she was a caterer, needed someone to help clean his house and run errands.

Didn't seem so bad, till she mentioned he was in a wheelchair and was a very stubborn man. He had a nurse who came by to take care of him, but she didn't have time to take care of his house and go shopping or anything. The more mom described it, it started sounding more and more like I'd be spending my whole summer babysitting some old man.

I looked up at the big house in front of me, it was obviously old. Probably older than Lee's actually. It didn't really look like anyone was taking care of it, the lawn was really overgrown, one of the upstairs windows looked like it had been smashed by a baseball and was covered with a blue tarp. The front gate didn't latch and just kinda sat there. I grabbed it to open it and had to push with all my might to get it to move an inch in the long weeds that were wrapped around the bottom of it. I managed to squeeze through the tiny space but didn't dare close the gate, or attempt to close the gate, behind me.

I started up the rock path, well I assumed it was a rock path once upon a time, most of the rocks had been removed and now there were just huge holes I tried not to break an ankle in. The wooden stairs were cracked and splintering and one if them, near the top, was just an empty stair shell, no top, nowhere to step, just a hole you'd probably break a leg in. I stepped over it, and over the two holes in the porch, and approached the door.

I knocked. No answer. I knocked again, harder. No answer.

A sign next to the door said "_Ring The Bell_", so I rang the bell.

No answer.

"Son of a-"

I rang the bell several times. Still no answer. Finally I opened the creaky old door.

The entryway was cramped with a whole ton of old shoes piled in the corner. I figured that meant take off your shoes but with how gross the floor looked I made a mental note to make sure I was up to date on my tetanus shot. Padding into the kitchen with just my socks, I saw dishes (whole and broken) expired food all in a pile in the corner, the refrigerator not plugged in with the door open, and a...black and gray cat sitting on the counter.

"Oh, hi kitty. Do you live here?"

The cat walked across the counter towards me and meowed, rubbing against my hand.

"Where's your owner? I'm supposed to meet the guy."

The cat jumped off the table and walked, past a huge pile of phone books and more expired food, into the living room. There was no TV, just 3 bookcases filled with books and 3 couches, a wheelchair with a man in it sitting by the window.

"I don't need no help." He grumbled, not even looking at me.

I rolled my eyes, here we go.

"Uh...well my mom said you do so here I am. I'm Harvey." I walked over and stuck my hand out "I'll let you shake my hand."

The old man turned his pale face towards me, he couldn't have been any younger than 90. He had the most wrinkles I'd ever seen, pure white hair that was curly and hung on his eyes, and, just past the hair, bright blue eyes.

"Your mom Millie?"

I lowered my hand "Uh...yeah."

He grinned towards the window "Always liked that girl." He turned his wheelchair towards me and looked me up and down "She still with that ass Ryan?"

My eyes widened, Bo certainly talked about my father like that but since his death people were usually pretty respectful "Uh...no he died 2 years ago actually."

The old man shook his head "Well, good riddance. He your daddy?"

I nodded "Had to prove it to him but, science says yes."

He shook his head again "That's unfortunate." He turned his chair back toward the window "Now Harvey, son of Millie, you can show yourself out. It's bad enough I have that Elaine lady here all the time, I don't need some bratty teenager here too."

I stood there awkwardly, not really knowing what to do. I was supposed to be here for another hour.

"Um...are you hungry?"

He glared at me "No."

"Thristy?"

"No."

"Okay...can I clean something?"

He turned towards me again "Can you clean?"

I nodded "I could organize. I'm very good at that."

He groaned "I guess, go upstairs. The nurse was doing my laundry but she doesn't fold the shit so it's just in a big old pile up in the second bedroom."

I nodded and started up the stairs "I second bedroom."

"Second door on the left. Don't go into the third room, and the bathroom doesn't work at all. Only the one down here has plumbing."

I nodded and headed up the stairs. Upstairs was actually cleaner than downstairs but I assumed it was because he spent all of his time downstairs. The house wasn't huge, there was a door right by the stairs the wouldn't close no matter how many times I pulled it shut. The window that was cracked, then two more doors. There was a bathroom at the end of the hallway. The door was slightly cracked with a "_Do Not Disturb_" sign hanging on the handle.

I opened the door to the second room and gasped, the entire room was filled with laundry baskets.

"You didn't say you had every laundry basket in Virginia up there!"

I stomped, delicately but still angrily, down the stairs (I was terrified they would collapes under me) and walked up to the old man.

He laughed "Yep. Way too much work for a 17 year old. You may as well just head home kid."

I glared "Why?"

He looked at me "Elaine gets paid to do this, you're a volunteer. You're gonna spend your whole summer taking care of me for free?"

I stared at him and walked over to the livingroom door, grabbing my backpack "You know what Mr. Orth? You're right."

I walked towards the door, the cat had resumed it's place on the counter, I considered slamming the door behind me but I was afraid the entire house would collapes.

"Screw this, I'm not waisting my summer here for that ungrateful ass." I hopped over the gate instead of fighting to open it again "I'll work, and I'll hang out with my friends, and I'll volunteer at a soup kitchen and that's good enough."

Turning around I flipped off the house "Screw you Horton Orth."

**#_#_#_#_#**

**So there's the first chapter. I'll try not to spoil anything from the other stories that are currently unwritten. I'll just gloss over a bunch of details. **

**Give me some feedback, does this seem like a good synopsis? I like it I just have to figure out how to execute it. **

**Love you all! **


	2. Chapter 2

**So this might be short, who knows, I write until I can't write so idk how long these things are lol**

**#_#_#_#_#**

"So...why are you home so early?"

I looked towards the door, my mom was standing there.

"Because you sent me to work for an asshole." I smiled at her and held up my middle and pointer finger in a peace sign "We only do positive thinking here."

She laughed "Since when do you think positively?"

I frowned "Fair point I guess."

She walked over and sat on the couch next to me "I stopped by to see how you were doing and Horton said you quit."

I was shocked, that asshole! "Yeah! After he told me to!"

My mom raised her eyebrow "Since when do you do what people say?"

I groaned "Why do I have to spend my summer with that ass?"

Mom smiled, leaning back on the couch and pulling her knees up to her chest "He was the Librarian here when we first moved here."

I blinked "So after you and Ryan got married?"

"Before that. I met Ryan here. A month after I left Minnesota."

I grunted "Sadly."

Mom smiled "Hey kiddo, if we hadn't met you wouldn't be here."

I cocked my head to the side "And?"

Mom laughed and nudged my shoulder "Oh shut up."

I laughed and smiled at her "So what was this sob story you were going to tell me about Mr. Orth that is supposed to make me crawl all the way back to his house with a huge heart, willing to give my life for the old fart?"

Mom blinked, her brown eyes wide "Uh...that was very well thought out."

"Thank you."

"Uh...anyway...Horton was the librarian and even though he was a strict man, he was nice to those who cared about his books. The old Library Of Virginia shut down though, about a year after Rachel was born I believe. Horton was sad but understanding, he decided to move to the new library, but they didn't want him, accused him of old style thinking or whatever. He tried to make his own library in his house, set up festivals in the park that he always had me cater. No one ever showed up though."

I looked down at the game controller in my hands, that would explain all the books in the guy's house.

"He started to get kinda pissy as he got older, I think most of it was loneliness after his wife died in 09. Then he locked himself in his house, Bo and I were the ones who got him his nurse, and he's gone through quite a bit with her. He was mobile when she started there but in 2014 he had a stroke and never regained strength in his legs. His eyes are really bad too. He can't read anymore."

I sighed "Does this give him an excuse to be an ass?"

Mom shook her head, her brown hair falling out of the ponytail it'd been in all day "No, but I suggested you for a reason." She stood up "You don't have to go back there tomorrow afternoon but I'd consider it if I were you."

**#_#_#_#_#**

"Are you going back?"

I played with the ice in my soda while Natalie stared at me, an eyebrow raised "I guess so...I was thinking a lot last night. Maybe he's like me...he's mad and he just doesn't know how to express it."

Natalie nodded while wiping the counter down "Fair point, try telling him that though, it took years for you to accept it."

I laughed "I'm a special kind of stubborn though." She smiled and walked towards one of her tables. I stop up and walked towards the booth in back where Bodanah was currently sitting, eating a burger and reading a huge stack of papers "Can I talk to you for a second?"

She looked at me with her brown eyes and motioned towards the seat across from her "What's up?"

"What do you remember about Horton Orth?"

Bo laughed, almost choking on her burger in the process "He's an angry old man, but he's not as bad as you think."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Patton was the one who broke his window, guy didn't even care. Just told Patton he needed to work on his aim but he had a powerful arm. I put the tarp in the window, he wouldn't let me fix it, said he'd be dead soon and the house would be condemned so what was the point."

"He yelled at me for trying to introduce myself!"

Bo raised an eyebrow "Did he? Or did it just come off that way?"

I sat and stared at her for a moment "Like how I can come off?"

She nodded and pointed at me "There you go. You guys are gonna have a hard time getting started cuz you're so alike but you'll figure it out."

I nodded and stood up "You're actually really good at this advice thing."

She waved her hand at me "Don't get used to it."

I walked towards the door, dropping a few dollars on the counter on my way by. Natalie caught me just outside "So...going back to Grumpy Bastard's House Of Horrors?" She put a hand on my chest "Or are you going to hang out with me today?"

I smiled and tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear "As very tempting as you sound, very tempting, I'm gonna have to choose Horton over you."

Natalie looked shocked "You're kidding."

I shook my head and walked away, turning back around to face her "I guess I feel like I can actually make this work and get into school!"

Natalie put her hands on her hips "What about me?"

I ran back and pecked her on the lips "You my dear, are not going to get me into college."

She smiled and stuck her tongue out "I'll fuck a professor, I'm not afraid."

I laughed and walked away "I'll text you okay?"

**#_#_#_#_#_#**

(Not Harvey's POV)

Natalie pulled out her phone as Harvey walked away, a little too much determination in his step for her liking.

"He's gonna ditch us for Hermit Horton. I know it."

"_Personally, I think you're insane."_

"Personally, I don't give a shit. Harvey could completely regress and decide being by himself is better than with us!"

_"Nevermind, I KNOW you're crazy."_

"Shut up, I'll keep an eye on him, but we might need some drastic measures."

**#_#_#_#_#_#Again, no clue how long this is lol but my arm fell asleep so I can't type anymore. Innocence Of A Child will be updated next, thanks for reading! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Because this story takes place before the 4th 'Innocence Of A Child' and the 3rd one, I'm gonna take my time writing it so I don't spoil anything in the other stories. This story will be done before the 4th story though because some important shit happens lol**

**#_#_#_#_#**

I stomped my way up the broken steps (almost fell through the 3rd one) and banged on the door.

No answer.

"Are you fucking serious!?"

I slammed the door open, kicked my shoe off, and stomped through the kitchen, stopping to pet the cat who was once again sitting on the counter.

"Orth!"

A grumble answered me from the living room. I walked in and there he was in his wheelchair like before, looking out the window. A soon as I entered the room he glared at me.

"Do I have to kick you out every single day?"

I glared at him "I'm here to help you you self centered ass!"

He laughed darkly "Get out before I call the cops on your ass."

I smiled "Call them. Hell, I'll call Chief Stork right now!"

"You'll get yourself arrested boy!"

"Why the hell would they arrest the poor boy trying to help an old man out?"

Horton glared at me, then started wheeling himself towards the kitchen, something that surprised me because I'd never seen him move before.

"Come here!"

I followed him, slowly, as he brought me to the dining room. The table was piled to the ceiling with books.

"This is the kind of mess you get to deal with if you want to stay here."

I glared at him "Did you do this shit on purpose?"

He chuckled "Nope, it'd be a good way to keep everyone away though wouldn't it."

I sighed and started towards the front door "You know. If you go into a situation thinking it won't turn out right then all you'll do is fail."

"The hell are you kid? A shaman?"

"No. My mom pays a therapist a lot of money to spout stuff like that at me."

**#_#_#_#_#**

I walked in the house and immediately heard a yelp. I bolted to the back room where the basement stairs were and saw my dog Chuckie laying by the top of the stairs. I sighed and sat down next to him.

"Your legs hurt boy? You shouldn't go into the basement, those steps are hard on you."

I patted his head and he licked my hand. Chuckie was 14 and even though he'd been very healthy before, when Rachel's dog Ruby died a year ago at age 16, his health started to fail. His hips had become really weak and it took him a while to catch his great after a walk or climbing the stairs. He still liked snow though, he was a husky after all.

I helped him stand up and he liked me again before nudging my hip with his head.

"You know I'm upset, as always." I sat down in the chair by the basement steps and Chuckie laid down by my feet, he used to sit at attention when I'd talk to him. "Horton is an ass Chucksters...he doesn't want help when he obviously needs it...he obviously had a huge personality change from whenever the hell mom knew him...he's actively *trying* to piss me off..." I looked down at Chuckie's black face "I know I should be willing to volunteer to help the old or whatever but I don't wanna! I need to get into school and I need volunteer hours for that but not this kind of volunteer work!" I sighed and climbed out of the chair to lay on the floor beside Chuckie "I'll power through though...Harvey McKenzie doesn't give up, that's an 'Uno with the citizombies' type of thing."

The front door opened and shut and I heard bags rustling on the counter.

"Should I assume you're home Harvey?"

"No I'm a burgler." I said casually, petting Chuckie's head "I'm here to rob you of all your money."

Mom laughed from the kitchen "If you find any let me know."

I stood up and walked into the kitchen where mom was scrambling around. "You in a hurry? Got to to work a double today or something?"

She froze and turned red "Uh...no."

I sat at the counter and raised an eyebrow "Then what up?"

She looked away as Chuckie came padding slowly into the room and sat by the food box.

"I have a...date tonight..."

I snorted "Hope your taste in men has improved."

She turned red again "No...my taste in men is still shit..."

I stared at her for a second before waving my hands frantically in front of me "You know what? I don't wanna know, don't tell me."

I jumped off the stool and headed for the living room. "Have a nice date. I'm going to make a video about a movie where a chick dates a dog who's actually a human but he turns into a dog and...whatever it's weird but hey, YouTube dough right?"

Mom stopped me as I walked out of the kitchen "You went to see Horton today?"

I nodded while avoiding her eyes.

"How did it go? Better than last time?"

I shook my head.

"Harvey..."

"I know mom...I'm coming up with a plan...I swear..."

**#_#_#_#_#**

"So what insane plan did you come up with that will no doubt get us killed?"

The Polish girl glared at the redhead then back through the binoculars. "We'll live, the dude's in a wheelchair Paddy."

"Uh...yeah but the cops aren't and if we go busting into Hermit Horton's house we'll be arrested."

"We're not busting in anywhere...yet...first we need a van and if Shaunie is lucid for five seconds he'll know where to get us one."

"Make sure the Wi-Fi name is 'FBI Surveillance Van' for affect."

The redhead and black haired girl whipped around and fell out of the tree they were in. Natalie stood up and glared at Harvey.

"What the fuck!?"

"That's my question! Why are you spying on Horton?!"

Paddy sighed "Natalie's idea. I'm just the Fulbright along for the Drilovsky ride."

Harvey rolled his eyes "And I'm just the McKenzie cleaning up the mess at the end of the day. Listen, go away. I have a plan to make Horton tolerate me."

"Not like you? Just 'tolerate' you?" Natalie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He doesn't have to like me. I sure as hell don't like him. He has to put up with me long enough for me to get the credits I need for school."

"And your brilliant plan is?" Paddy asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"I'm gonna be so nice, it'll make Sonia look like a bully."

The two stared at him before bursting out in laughter.

"That's your master plan!?" Natalie asked, hunched over and laughing.

Harvey rolled his eyes "Hopefully it'll sweeten him up...or plan B it'll give the old ass a heart attack from the amount of pure sweetness."

Paddy leaned against the tree and took a deep breath to stop laughing "Well good luck Harvey, you're not the meanest person I know."

Harvey smiled "Awww, I love you too Paddy!" He turned to Natalie and glared "That's how you sweet talk someone Natalie!" He turned and stomped across the street towards the old house.

Paddy and Natalie watched him go.

"He's dead."

"You wanna live together in college?"

**#_#_#_#_#**

**Kinda short but this story is trudging along at a slow pace lol. **


End file.
